University of Westminster gets funding for Ebola research project

The government is to provide the University of Westminster with £620,000 in order to fund a new EbolaCheck research project.

The Ebola virus is still dominant in West Africa. Prince William has today shown his support for further education about the virus. In order to avert from further infection, early detection is vital. It currently takes between seven and eight hours for blood results to come back, whereas a new research project proposed by the University of Westminster aims to detect the virus quicker, without the use of needles or syringes.

The EbolaCheck project aims to detect the Ebola virus within 40 minutes by testing bodily fluids, quicker than existing techniques. The aim of the project is to provide a reliable, rapid and safe test that is portable and cost-effective. If successful, the device could be available within the next six months.

The device will be similar to a blood glucose meter, and the portable device will only need a small drop of blood to function. The team then aim to make the device work simply with urine and saliva.

Public Health England will work together with the University, and will together provide a solution capable for dealing with the Ebola virus devastating West African nations.